


The Beach

by GodspeedRebels



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, F/M, Fluff and Smut, HEA, Happy Ending, No Angst, Photography, Reylo - Freeform, Romantic Fluff, Sunsets, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unresolved Romantic Tension, author's first smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodspeedRebels/pseuds/GodspeedRebels
Summary: Rey and Ben meet on a beach for the first time on a windswept island in Scotland.  As they get to know each other their feelings deepen but will they take the plunge?
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Kenobi, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36
Collections: ReylOlds, Summer Fic Exchange 2020





	The Beach

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reylo_mo (writermo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writermo/gifts).



> This is part of the The Writing Den's summer exchange and was prompted by writer_mo (https://archiveofourown.org/users/writermo/pseuds/reylo_mo), the prompt being "Reylo meeting each other at the beach for the first time." I hope you enjoy your gift, it's only my second fic but I loved your prompt and had great fun writing it for you.
> 
> The story is set on a fictional island in Scotland but is heavily inspired by the Islands of the Outer Hebrides - Isle of Lewis, Isle of Harris, Barra, Benbecula, North and South Uist.
> 
> Many thanks to k-dal (https://twitter.com/kendal_darling) who beta'd this for me and for her glorious love of commas.

___

**Monday:**

Ben Solo stood in front of the weathered stone cottage, nursing yet another mug of coffee. His view was drawn to the dipping sun as it cast long ribbons of orange, red and violet across the cloudless sky, reflecting off the ocean below. It was his favourite part of the day. His work was done, his laptop closed for the evening and there was nothing to do but to soak up the last rays of the sun in silent contemplation. 

He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh and felt the wind gently blow his hair across his face bringing with it the salty aroma of the sea. It was a smell that reminded him of endless days at the beach as a child with his parents and picnics and ice cream. As the wind rustled the leaves of the nearby trees, he could hear the chirps of the sandpipers on the beach, no doubt searching for food in the damp sand underfoot. 

Although it was July and therefore _technically_ summer, the weather had been changeable, and the temperatures were below the seasonal norm. At least that's what the locals had told him, if they could be trusted; of which he wasn’t quite sure.

His day had been partially successful, it seemed that this new environment was having a positive effect on his work and his tired soul. 

The cottage he was renting overlooked a mile-long white sandy beach. The beach was unspoilt, with the most beautiful clear aqua blue-green water; the likes of which he had only ever seen in the Caribbean. 

The cottage had trees around it, probably to give some shelter to the prevailing wind that swept off the shore. The trees were bent over with branches on one side only, all facing inland, their growth shaped by years of constant winter storms and summer winds. In the open space between the road and the edge of the beach, there was a wide strip of grasses and wildflowers.

The vista from the cottage was breathtaking but, as yet, he had not seen a soul on the beach. He had taken long walks along the sand, following the paths along the rocks and cliffs. He imagined himself as a child, how he would have hunted for caves and lagoons, looking for pirates and their treasure. However, the pirates were long gone and the only people he had come across were the occasional farmer driving a tractor or herding sheep on the single-track road leading back to the cottage.

Benjamin Organa Solo was an accomplished author and was gaining traction in the literary and commercial world. His three most recent books had, according to the New York Times, become instant best sellers and his publisher was, of course, hankering for him to produce more.

He thought back to the planning meeting last month at the publishing house. He had emphasised to Hux, his agent and harbinger of doom, that he would no longer attend any more meetings but, as usual, Hux had scheduled the meeting without consulting him or taking his wishes into account.

_“Got to strike while the iron is hot,”_ said Hux, as he tried to encourage him. 

Ben glared at him and then groaned. The last book and promo tour had been particularly gruelling and the last thing he wanted was to dive straight back into writing. He was burnt out and needed a break. Hux however, had kept up his barrage.

Ben caved _, “Tell you what, hire me a place to stay, in the middle of nowhere where I won’t be disturbed, and I’ll see what I can do.”_

_“Where do you want to go?”_ asked Hux eagerly.

Ben tried to stall for a few minutes, trying to distract Hux so he could leave without making any commitments. _Fuck, did I just agree to this?_ he thought, wishing he could kick himself. Hux always got the better of him when he was tired.

“Ben?” urged Hux, cocking his head to the side, gesturing to him to make up his mind.

Ben realised he couldn’t distract him any longer as he scrambled to think of somewhere. _“Scotland”_ he sighed, as he slumped his head in defeat.

Looking back, he wasn’t sure why he had picked Scotland, or even where the thought had come from. Certainly, it was on his bucket list, a writer’s paradise of mysterious lochs and dark mountains, haunted castles and seemingly impossible folk tales. He was convinced that Hux would try to talk him out of it citing reasons of cost or impracticality. However, that never came to pass and two weeks ago, at the beginning of July, he had arrived on Eilean Nan Tonn, a sparsely populated island off the north west coast of Scotland.

As he flew overhead, he looked down to see a scattering of whitewashed houses and farms, rocks and white sandy beaches. The one-hour flight had departed from Glasgow Airport and he was convinced the 18-seater plane was built for hobbits. He watched as the other passengers had to duck their heads to move down the passageway and he, being 6’3” tall, practically had to fold himself in half to get in. He had laughed when before departure a fellow passenger had told him that there was no runway on the island’s airport, that the plane landed on a beach. He wasn’t laughing when it came into land.

After the very uncomfortable flight and a hair-raising taxi ride hurtling along the single-track roads, he had arrived at the cottage itself. He had to admit that Hux had outdone himself this time, even arranging for a hire car to be delivered to him.

The cottage itself was a work of art. It was set off the road and built into the hillside with floor to ceiling windows in every room. The front of the building was built with natural stones, layered on top of each other like the dry-stone dykes bordering the farmers’ fields on the island that he had seen on his ride over. The building had a curved exterior and the roof was covered with grass and wildflowers. It was obviously designed to blend into the environment.

The inside of the cottage was flooded with light. The wooden beams, which acted as the frame for the building were exposed in every room and the floors were made of varnished wood and pale-grey limestone tiles. In fact, if you looked closely you could see fossils imbedded in the limestone. The living area was open plan with the kitchen and dining room. A woodburning stove was situated in the living room with wood and kindling piled beside it. The pale green and blue accent colours of the furniture and walls gave an overall sense of tranquility and peace of mind. 

Ben focussed his thoughts back to the present and on his day’s writings. He had spent far more time than usual, frustratingly, trying to focus on a particular scene which had been eluding him for a while. _I’ll look at it tomorrow with fresh eyes,_ he thought.

He sighed and opened his eyes as they drifted over the view and stopped when he saw someone on the beach. In the distance it looked like a woman with a tripod and camera, but she was too far away to see clearly. He could make out that she was slim, with dark hair tucked into a dark woollen coat, jeans and boots. 

Ben watched, enthralled. Two weeks of perfect isolation in the cottage had allowed him to rest and to switch off from the outside world. However, he was finding it a bit too quiet. With the exception of the occasional unwelcome phone call from Hux, he had not spoken to anyone in days.

He watched the woman on the beach as she moved her tripod around. He wondered just what she was photographing. Given the direction her camera was pointed he assumed it was the sunset, but he had long learned never to assume. _Would it look creepy if I just happened to be wandering on the beach and bumped into her?_ He thought for a moment. _No, fuck it, I’m going._

He went into the cottage, put his mug in the sink and grabbed his hooded jacket throwing it over his pale blue shirt and jeans. Ben put on his hiking boots, laced them up and headed out the door. 

The wind coming off the ocean had picked up and it was biting. He zipped his jacket, pulling the collar up to stave off the cold. Ben retrieved his woollen hat from his pocket and pulled it on his head to try keep warm. 

He walked down the path from the cottage to the narrow road and followed the path which would take him onto the beach. Part of the route was obscured by the trees surrounding the house. Ben tucked his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders up to keep warm.

After walking for five minutes, he arrived at one end of the beach to find it empty once more. He looked around to see if he could see where the woman had gone but there was no trace, just some footprints to the road and then nothing. He had to admit that he was a little bummed.

He walked to the shoreline, watching the foaming waves lap around his boots and then recede back into the ocean. The wind was whipping up the water, making the waves choppy. He bent down to pick up a few pebbles. Ben tried to skim them across the waves but without success. He sighed and pulled the collar around his neck again, turned and headed home in the dimming twilight.

___

Tuesday:

Ben awoke to see the daylight creep around the edges of curtains and made his way through to the kitchen to switch on the kettle. He spent some time pondering on the identity of the mystery woman as he made himself a mug of coffee and went to the window to see if she had miraculously reappeared. The beach was still empty. _Why is this bothering me?_ he wondered.

His day continued as all his days previous, and he settled down to do more writing and research for his book. He took a walk at lunchtime, trying to catch a glimpse of anyone. As he expected, there was no-one around and he returned to the cottage a little more discouraged.

As the daylight began to falter and the orange and red colours of sunset once again flooded his living room, he walked to the window and looked towards the beach. His heart caught in his throat as he saw her on the beach again, with her tripod and camera as before.

He wasn’t going to waste any time today; he threw on his jacket and boots and headed down to the beach with a quick stride. As he arrived, he could see her in the distance and, he slowed his pace as he ambled towards her _. Fuck, what are you doing Ben? She might think you are some kind of crazy._ He didn’t know what he was going to say, _I’m just a tourist, I’ll_ _just act natural,_ he thought, trying to convince himself.

It took a few minutes to reach her, the beach was long and when the tide was out it seemed to go on for ever. Fortunately, high tide was just starting to recede and as he approached her, he waved and shouted “Hi!”

The woman turned to face him and smiled. She was beautiful. Her hair wasn’t tied back and it was dancing in the breeze. She raised her hand and brushed her unruly locks behind her ear. She then kept her hand over her eyes to block out the sun as she looked at him.

“Hi, Ciamar a tha thu?” she spoke, in a raised voice so she could he heard over the wind.

(Hi, how are you)

Ben heard her speak but didn’t understand, “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, how are you? Do you not have the Gaelic?” she asked

“No, I don’t speak Gaelic, just English”, he replied.

“It’s just as well I speak English too then”, she laughed. Her voice was soft, and she spoke with the sing-song lilt of the few locals he had already met on the island. As he drew closer, his eyes were drawn to her almond shaped eyes. They were hazel and had a softness to them, untouched by the cynicism that he had so often encountered back home.

“You’re not from here, are you?”, she asked.

“No, did my accent give it away?” Ben smiled.

“Just a little” she answered, cautiously, “are you staying local?”

Ben turned, and clutching his jacket tighter against the wind, pointed to the cottage. “I’m staying up there, in the stone cottage.” He stretched out his hand, “My name is Ben Solo, by the way.”

She studied his eyes, then his hand and thought for a moment. Her face relaxed and she took his hand, shaking it. “I’m Rey Kenobi.”

Ben hesitated and asked, “I saw you last night on the beach from the cottage, are you taking photos?”

Rey laughed softly, “Yes, did the camera give it away?”

“Just a little”, said Ben, smiling as he repeated back the words she had said earlier. “Are you taking pictures of the sunset?” as he turned to watch the sun dipping on the horizon, out to sea.

“Yes, I’m home for a few weeks visiting my grandpa and doing some work for a travel magazine. I’m photographing the undiscovered parts of Scotland. Well, undiscovered except to the people that have lived there for centuries! Are you on holiday?”

“Yes and no.” Ben replied, “I’m writing a book and I needed some peace to do it, so I’ll be staying at the cottage for a few months. I also needed a break so I’m kinda killing two birds with one stone.”

Rey peered past Ben to look at the cottage again. Then she turned and pointed in the opposite direction, “My grandpa lives about half a mile along the road. I usually work in Glasgow, but I come home as often as I can to check up on the old bugger.”

Rey looked out towards the sunset. The light had changed from red and orange to yellow and orange, with the colours reflecting off the bottom of the cumulous clouds overhead, making the sky look as if it was on fire. “I’m sorry, I have to get these pictures, or my editor will kill me. It was nice to meet you Ben Solo.”

“Sure, see you around, Rey Kenobi.” Ben tucked his hands back into his pockets and walked away trying desperately hard not to look back as he made his way back. _Yes,_ he thought, as he almost punched the air in happiness, _Ok, she’s here for a few weeks, now I have to work out a way to meet her again!_

___

Wednesday:

Rey Kenobi woke up in the small bedroom at the back of her grandpa’s house and pulled the covers over her, trying to delay the inevitable. Her bladder, however, had other ideas. She got up and went downstairs to the kitchen via the bathroom and shivered as she poured herself a glass of water. It was always cold here, her grandpa’s heating fed off the fire downstairs and when the fire went out, so did the heating.

She looked out of the window above the kitchen sink and watched the waves crash onto the beach. She leaned against the counter as she recalled the stranger on the beach. _Oh my God, he is stunning. Those dark eyes, like pools of ink; and his voice, I could listen to him talk for hours._ She shivered again, but this time not from the cold. 

She set down her glass and began to clean up the ash from last night’s fire. She set the kindling and wood together and lit a fresh fire. She grabbed her laptop which was sitting on top of a cabinet in the living room and sat down on the sofa, tucking her legs under herself to keep warm. _Well Mr Ben Solo, let’s find out who you are, she thought._

Rey spent an hour searching google, social media and anywhere else she could think of for any information about Ben Solo. She could not find a thing. Not one single snippet of information about his identity or books that he had written. She was puzzled. _How can there be nothing about him?_ She considered her options; _He’s either writing his first book, using a pen name, extremely private or maybe he’s a crazy serial killer. Maybe I should check America’s most wanted?_ she chuckled to herself.

She closed her laptop and went to shower and get dressed. She spent the afternoon editing photos and emailing them to her editor. Her grandpa was still out working when she checked her watch. _One hour to sunset,_ she thought. She checked her camera equipment, making sure the batteries were charged and the memory cards were formatted, and she headed out again to the beach. She didn’t need any more photos of the sunset, the photos she had taken yesterday had turned out really well. She thought that _if_ she hung around at the same spot, Ben Solo _might_ be passing again, and she could _sort of_ start talking to him. _This is mad. I know it’s been a while but that’s no excuse to start throwing yourself at strangers!_

*

Ben Solo watched from his window as Rey headed out to the same spot as the past two nights and set up her tripod and camera. He wondered if he was being pushy going to talk to her again, but as he had been unable to think of anything else that day, he found himself making his way to the beach.

This evening there were more clouds and the sky was darker. The colours of the sunset were not as vibrant, being partially obscured by the low-lying clouds. There was an atmosphere of tension in the air as if the skies might just burst open with torrential rain. Nevertheless, he continued walking towards her.

“Hello stranger”, he called out to her waving his hand so as not to startle her.

Rey tried not to smirk as she congratulated herself on a job well done. “Hello Ben Solo, how are you?”, she responded in her soft lilting accent. “I hope you brought your waterproofs” she continued as she held out her hand, palm up and looked upwards to the clouds.

“I’m good, do you think it will rain?” he asked, sounding a little worried.

“Oh, without a doubt. I’m just trying to catch the clouds; it adds to the drama of the photograph.” she answered, peering through the viewfinder. _Stay calm, keep talking_ , she kept repeating to herself like a mantra.

Ben stood and watched as she concentrated on taking some pictures. _Stay calm, keep talking_ , he thought. 

Rey removed the camera from the tripod and looked up at him. “Can I take a picture of you, here at the beach?” she asked

“Me?” he replied surprised, “Why would you want to take a picture of me?”

“Well I know what it’s like to be always taking the pictures and never being in them. It might be a nice thing to look back on when you return home. Besides, I need the practice!” She smiled, endearingly.

“Only if I can take one of the lady who is never in any pictures”

Rey laughed, “Ok, deal.”

She turned and directed Ben where to stand as she studied him to see how the light fell across his face. His long hair was falling over his eyes leaving them with no illumination. “May I?” she asked. He nodded and she reached up her hand to sweep his hair off his face to see his eyes. His hair felt soft, yet thick in her hands

“You have lovely eyes; you don’t want to hide them,” she said bashfully.

She brought the camera up to start taking pictures, adjusting her position to catch the best angle. Ben looked straight at the camera; his dark eyes intense as if he could see right through her. She felt a flush of attraction and tried to quash it as she continued to take pictures. 

“Can you look away from the camera towards the sea?” and she watched as Ben turned around. She took a few more pictures, stopped and started scrolling through the images on the back of the camera.

“Shit” she said under her breath.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” She stared in amazement at the images. “Are you aware of how _good_ you look in a photo?”

Ben let out a belly laugh, “Me? No, I don’t think so.” He pointed at her, “You are having fun at my expense.”

“No, I’m not”, she replied a little indignantly.

He reached out his arm, “My turn”, waggling his fingers for the camera.

Rey put the camera to auto and handed it over him, “It’s on auto, just press and shoot”. 

She stood still as she watched him walk around her, prowling in circles as if she were his prey he was going to devour. The wind had picked up a little and he used his hand to push his hair from his face, running his fingers through his hair. She watched as his dark eyes shifted from the camera to look at her.

“You know…. your eyes are stunning too, are they hazel?” he asked quietly. He began to take photos as Rey became aware of her heartbeat picking up.

“Thank you. Yes, they are,” she replied. There was a moment’s pause as they continued to gaze at each other and then she felt a drop of rain on her cheek. Ben watched as she raised her hand to her face, wiped it off and looked at it. A moment of clarity, and then “Fuck, I need to get my camera equipment home before the rain kicks in.”

“I’ll help,” Ben answered as he thrust her camera into her camera bag while she folded her tripod.

“This way, follow me,” she shouted as she started to run from the beach back to the road leading to her Grandpa’s house.

Ben followed and caught up with her quickly, although he was surprised at how fast she could run. _Not just slim, but athletic too_. _Oh my God, she’s perfect,_ he thought to himself. 

They both ran the half mile back to the house as the drops of rain turned into a downpour. They burst through the back door, out of breath and laughing. Ben collided with Rey as she stopped to take off her jacket and hang it up. Although Rey could have managed to get herself and her equipment home by herself, she had to admit that she was _very_ curious about this gorgeous tall dark stranger from America. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

The distant sound of fiddle music drifted from the living room. “Can I offer you a tea or coffee?” she asked as she began to fill the kettle with water.

“I’ll have a coffee,” came an older voice from the living room.

“Oh, you have to meet my Grandpa” she said as she grabbed Ben’s hand and led him through to the living room. She could feel his hand trembling slightly as she pulled him along.

“Grandpa, this is Ben Solo; Ben, this is my Grandpa, Ben Kenobi” Rey announced proudly. She walked over to where her Grandpa was sitting in an armchair beside the open fire, reading a newspaper and kissed his forehead.

Ben walked over and held out his hand as the elder Ben stood up and then shook it. Ben Kenobi sunk back down into his armchair and Rey offered a silent invitation to Ben to sit. Ben sat at one end of the couch while Rey’s Grandpa looked him over in the stoic fashion that the islanders seemed to be very good at. 

“So, you’re staying up at the stone cottage?” he asked eventually. He had the same accent as Rey but it was stronger, having spent all his life on the island.

“Yes, I’m staying for a while, I’m writing a book” Ben replied.

Grandpa Ben nodded his head. Ben could feel him sizing him up before he continued, “What kind of books do you write?”

“Normally thrillers or horror.”

“Normally? So, what are you writing about now, sitting up in that cottage all by yourself?”

Rey had been listening intently from the kitchen as she poured three coffees and put them on a tray with cream and sugar. She carried the tray through the living room and set it on the coffee table.

She sat beside Ben, “Sorry, I just assumed you like coffee”, she said quietly, looking at him and then the tray.

“Yeah, I love coffee” he replied, giving a small smile of reassurance. He reached out to pick up a mug and took a sip. His hand completely wrapped around the mug and Rey’s eyes widened.

Ben looked at her Grandpa and replied, “I’m trying something different for this one, a romantic drama,” as he turned and looked softly at Rey, who was still staring at him.

Rey quickly dipped her head, trying to avoid blushing. Old Ben Kenobi caught the exchange from the corner of his eye and smirked.

“So, Ben, you say you are by yourself, do you have any family?”

“Grandpa!”, Rey growled as a warning. She knew where this was headed from previous experience.

Ben laughed, “No, I don’t have any family, just my parents. No partner, no kids.”

Rey watched the twinkle in her Grandpa’s eyes and inwardly cringed. He pointed to Rey, “She doesn’t have a boyfriend either, says she’s ‘too busy’ for that.”

“Grandpa, that’s enough!” she scolded, hoping he would stop with his mischief.

They fell into some easy chat and once the coffee was finished Rey gathered up the mugs and tray and took them back into the kitchen. She heard Ben make some excuse to her grandpa and he followed her.

“It’s stopped raining, I guess I should head back.” Ben muttered as he looked out of the window.

“I suppose so.” Rey replied, looking down at her feet.

Ben didn’t reply but felt a little disappointed. Perhaps she didn’t have the same feelings as him.

Rey shuffled uneasily on her feet. Suddenly she smiled and looked up at him, “Can I ask you something about your books?

“Of course,” he replied, his face brightening up.

“Do you write them as Ben Solo or do you have a pen-name?”

Ben laughed and leaned casually against the countertop, “Have you been trying to find me on the internet? I do have a pen name” he answered coyly.

“Of course! Any self-respecting author would - so are you going to tell me what it is?” Rey quizzed, blushing.

“Are you sure you want to know?” he teased.

“Yes, yes I do.” she replied.

“Kylo Ren.”

“Kylo Ren?” she exclaimed in excitement, and not without a bit of relief. _Well that rules out the serial killer theory,_ she thought. _“_ What the fuck! As in Kylo Ren, the horror king? As in Darkness Rises and Darkness Falls?”

“Have you read them?” he asked hesitantly, bracing himself for a negative reaction. _Please God, let her not hate them,_ he thought _._

‘Hell yeah, oh my God, if I had known you were Kylo Ren, I don’t know if I would have let you follow me home,” she said and nudged him.

“Don’t worry, that reaction is more common than you think. And if my memory serves me correct, _you_ told me to follow you home.” Ben grinned.

Rey faced the sink and turned on the tap to begin washing the coffee dishes. She added washing up liquid and when the sink was full, she turned off the tap and plunged her hands into the hot soapy water. Ben grabbed a dish towel to start drying them.

“So, tell me, why are you writing a romance now? Why change what is successful?” Rey asked.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. I went through a dark period for a few years and writing horror made sense at the time, it was kind of cathartic. Now, I want to believe in hope for the future… for my future. I don’t know, it’s kind of difficult to explain.”

“No, I think I understand, and hope is a good thing.” she said quietly as she looked up at him. She placed her hand on his forearm, “A wise woman once told me that hope is like the sun - if you only believe in it when you can see it, you’ll never make it through the night.”

Ben smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes as it had done previously; as if hope was an abstract concept that he was trying to convince himself existed.

There was silence for a moment as they stared at each other until they heard the sound of a throat clearing. Neither had noticed Grandpa Ben had come into the kitchen.

“Rey, I have some things to do in the garage, I think I’ll make myself scarce!” the old man muttered while walking towards the back door.

Rey and Ben burst out laughing and all of a sudden, the tension in the kitchen disappeared. When the dishes were finished, Rey went to her camera bag and pulled out a business card and handed it to Ben along with a pen. “If you want, you can write your email address and I can email you the pictures I took of you today. I have to do some editing tonight anyway.”

Ben took the card and pen and wrote his details on the back of the card. “I’ll put my cell number here too, you know, just in case,” he added.

“Thanks,” she said as she took the card and pen back and placed it on the countertop.

Ben looked at her, “Don’t suppose you have a spare one of those cards I can have? I may need an up to date portrait for this novel.”

There was another pause before Rey stuttered, “Oh, oh, yes, of course.” She reached into her bag again and pulled out another business card and held it out to him. Ben went to take the card from her and as he did so, their fingers brushed against one another. Their reaction was instantaneous, Ben’s eyes sparkled as Rey took a sharp intake of breath.

_Play it cool, don’t fuck this up,_ he thought _._ “I better head home now the rain is off. I’ll look forward to seeing the photos,” he said as he grabbed his jacket from the hook, where it was hanging beside the back door. 

Rey followed him to the door as Ben opened it and stepped out into the dwindling light. In a few minutes the last of the light would disappear, plunging the island into darkness with only the stars to light the night sky.

“Goodnight, Rey.” he whispered.

“Goodnight, Ben.” she replied, with a tender smile.

Rey watched as Ben walked along the path onto the road, his way illuminated by what little light from the moon could be seen when not hidden by the clouds. She closed the door gently and took a deep inhale of breath and let it out slowly. She then ran upstairs to watch from the window, keeping the light turned off so she wouldn’t be seen.

Ben stopped as if he knew he was being watched and he looked back at the Kenobi House. His mind was churning, trying to think of any reason to talk to Rey again without making it too obvious that he was attracted to her. He put his hands in his pockets and felt the business card there. He smiled to himself, hoping he would hear from Rey soon.

___

Thursday:

The alarm rang at 9am and although Ben wanted to pick it up and throw it against the wall, he restrained himself and instead switched it off. He picked up his phone and with his eyes barely open, stumbled towards the kitchen.

He opened the curtains in the living room and was almost blinded by the intensity of the sun. There was not a cloud in the sky and the water was unusually still. He had been on the island almost three weeks and he hadn’t known a day without wind.

He lifted his arms above his head in an almighty stretch accompanied by a very loud yawn, when movement in front of the cottage caught his eye. He stopped mid-stretch to watch Rey walking up the path to his cottage looking at him with wide eyes. She stopped and he looked down to realise he was standing with only a pair of boxer briefs on. Rey lowered her head and he could see her trying to stifle a smirk as he quickly turned and tried to find some clothes to put on. _Fuck, fuck, fuck_ , he thought, panicking.

Rey stood on the path to give Ben some time to get dressed, and to let the blush on her cheeks die down a little before she went to the door. Not that she was complaining! _Holy shit, I knew he was big but that should be illegal,_ she thought. S _till, it’s a nice way to start the day!_ as she began to smirk again.

After waiting what she thought was a respectable amount of time, she approached the front door just as Ben opened it, this time dressed in blue jeans and a grey t-shirt. His chin had dark stubble and his hair was sticking out all over the place. She watched as he ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it. _I really want to run my fingers through his hair._

“Hi,” said Ben looking a little embarrassed.

“Good morning,” Rey replied, smiling softly 

“Um… I’m sorry about that, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” as her soft smile erupted into a wide grin, her eyes lighting up and her shoulders shaking.

“So, are you coming in or are you just going to laugh at me all day on the doorstep?” he sighed as he held the door open and gestured for her to come in.

Rey followed Ben into the living area and sat on the couch as he made some coffee and brought it over to her.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Ben asked, before sitting beside her.

“I edited the photos and printed a few. I thought you might like to see them,” she replied, looking down at an envelope in her hands, avoiding his eyes. “I’m sorry, I should have called first, it’s just everyone on the island is up early and I assumed you would be up too.”

Ben froze. _Fuck, did she just emphasize the word ‘up’? Just how much did she see through the window_?

He lowered his head to try catch her line of sight. “Yes, I would like to see them,” he said, as he held out his hand.

Rey passed the envelope to him, watching his hands as he took the photos out and looked at them. She took a moment to really look at him whilst he was distracted. Through his dishevelled hair she could see that his ears stuck out a little. _Oh, I wonder if that’s why he keeps his hair long, oh Lord his hands are huge, I wonder what they would feel like on me... I wonder if he would like the feel of me?_

Rey heard her name being spoken, dragging her away from her daydreaming.

“Rey,” Ben said again only louder. He was looking at her excitedly.

“These are really good, Rey!” his eyes shining.

He held up the picture she had taken of him just after she had moved the hair from face to open up his eyes. “In fact, can I buy this one to use for the jacket of my book?”

Rey looked up surprised and flattered, “Really.... I mean yes…. of course. It’s just.… I thought you wanted something different.”

Ben put the photos down on the couch beside him and moved slightly closer to her. His voice lowered as his eyes narrowed, “Rey, I never said what I wanted.”

Rey felt trepidation in her stomach, and she started to breathe a little heavier. Her eyes widened, “Oh, so what do you want?” she almost squeaked.

Ben reached out and took her trembling hand in his. “I want you to come here tonight for dinner with me. I really like you and I think you like me. l want to spend time with you and get to know you. Will you come for dinner…… please?” He was almost pleading. “Please,” he repeated, this time rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

Rey’s voice was almost inaudible as she answered.

“Yes.”

\---

Several hours later, Rey stepped out of the shower and sat on her bed, nervously anticipating what might be ahead that evening. There was no doubt that she was attracted to Ben Solo. _Ok, I’m practically salivating over him,_ she giggled. But it wasn’t just his physical appearance that she found compelling. There was an intense presence under that soft exterior that she wanted to pry out from him. The way he looked at her sent shivers down her spine and she practically melted at his soft, baritone voice, imagining all kinds of seductive whisperings in her ear.

She rummaged through her suitcase desperately hoping she had brought a matching set of underwear. “ _Got to be prepared at all times,”_ her friend Rose had drilled into her. _“You never know when an opportunity will arise!”_ Rose could never keep her face straight when she said ‘arise.’

“Yes!” she as good as screamed, jumping up and down, holding out red lacy bra and knickers and waving them in the air. 

Rey heard the floorboards outside her bedroom creaking and then her grandpa’s gruff voice, “What’s all this commotion about then?”

Rey panicked, trying to hide the underwear while thinking of a credible reason as to why she would be heading over to Ben’s tonight. “Oh nothing, I thought I’d lost my phone charger, but I found it under the bed”, she replied, trying to make her voice sound light.

“Is that so?” Old Ben replied sarcastically, “because I could’ve sworn it was plugged in downstairs not five minutes ago.”

“Shit,” Rey murmured under her breath.

“Now, are you going to tell me what’s going on or am I to assume it’s to do with you going to Ben’s for dinner tonight?”

Rey gasped, “How did you know-”

Old Ben interrupted her, “Oh, come on lass! There’s only one shop this side of the island, and he was in there earlier this afternoon buying nearly one of everything. He was trying to get some kind of fancy cheese and was quite upset when Old Mrs Kanata informed him that there was only cheddar, so cheddar it is. She was like a bear with a sore head and I had to listen to her moaning for 10 minutes about it when all I wanted was to do was to pick up my newspaper,” he grumbled outside her bedroom door.

Rey chuckled imagining Mrs Kanata in one of her fowl moods dealing with yet another unreasonable tourist, swearing under her breath in Gaelic

“Yes, I’m going to Ben’s for dinner tonight. I’m just getting ready”, she answered.

“Well, don’t leave without letting me see you. I want to make sure you look respectable,” he shouted from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, right Grandpa!” she snorted sarcastically.

Forty-five minutes later Rey checked herself in the mirror for the final time, trying to calm her racing nerves. She smoothed down the front of the black V-neck wrap dress she was wearing over her red lacy underwear. The dress had a ruffle down the front and was short sleeved and knee length. Rey put on silver open toed heeled sandals, which showed off her red nail varnish she had spent way too much time perfecting. Her fingernails had the matching polish and round her wrist was a silver Celtic bangle, which had been gifted to her years before by her grandmother, Satine. Rey had bought the matching necklace and earrings a few years later after her grandmother had died, using some of the money she had been left in her will.

She took a deep breath and steadied herself before venturing downstairs for her Grandpa’s approval. She walked into the living room and stood in front of Old Ben who was sitting in his usual chair beside the fire.

He looked up at her for a few moments, overcome with emotion, his eyes moist and tender. “Rey, my love. You look more like your grandmother every time I see you.”

Rey blinked, trying to hold back the tears gathering in her eyes. Even after eight years, the loss was still too fresh in both their hearts.

“So, am I respectable enough for you?” she asked twirling her dress, trying to distract herself from the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

“Yes, my love, you look absolutely stunning,” he answered as he stood up to give her a hug. “Now, do you have your phone?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“Do you have your keys?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“Make sure you wear a jacket.”

“Yes, Grandpa,” Rey replied, rolling her eyes. 

“Have a nice time and send me a text if you aren’t coming home.”

“GRANDPA!”

“Oh, come now, I may be old but I’m not daft. Live your life, be happy. It’s what your grandma would have wanted,” he said softly as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

“Tha gaol agam ort seann bhodach,” Rey whispered. (I love you old man.)

“Tha gaol agam ort ro ogha,” Old Ben replied. (I love you too granddaughter.)

  
\----

Rey knocked on the door, nerves anxiously bubbling in her stomach as Ben opened it and then stopped to take in the vision in front of him. He looked at her in reverence. Her dark hair was in loose curls skimming her shoulders and her delicate earrings accentuated her long neck that he was desperate to caress. His eyes continued down to her slim, toned figure in a black wrap dress and silver heels. Her skin was glowing, her eyes shimmering, and her mouth looked absolutely delicious.

_He imagined himself wrapping his hand around her neck and face, pulling her in close to his body and devouring her lips, running his hands along her body, unwrapping the dress._

“Rey, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this, but you look absolutely beautiful.”

She beamed as Ben reached out and took her hand in his. It was her turn to look as she tried to stop her legs from shaking. He was dressed all in black: a black Henley shirt with the top buttons undone and black jeans. His hair, dark and wavy, looked wild yet luxurious; his dark brown eyes and indecently sensual lips made her feel like she was walking into the lair of Hades himself.

“Come in, dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes.”

She let Ben, who still had a hold of her hand, lead her into the kitchen. Her hand trembled a little and she groaned inwardly at the irony as she remembered Ben’s trembling hand from the day before. Various cooking smells hung in the air, garlic being the strongest and she could hear the familiar strains of Celtic folk music playing in the background.

“Smells lovely, what’s cooking?” she asked timidly.

“It’s a surprise!” he answered as he pulled a corkscrew from a drawer, “Can I offer you some wine? I have red, rose or white, still or sparkling.”

“Sparkling white would be nice,” Rey replied quietly as she placed her handbag on the counter. She looked around the room and was amazed at the transformation from earlier. Her eyes came to rest on the dining table set with two places. The light was dimmed over the table and she could see soft light being thrown off by the lit candles in the centre of the table. Between them was a small vase with freshly picked wildflowers. As she looked around further, she could pick out more vases filled with wildflowers and lit candles. She watched entranced as the reflections of the flowers lit by the flickering candlelight danced across the walls. 

Ben placed two tall wine glasses on the wooden countertop and opened the bottle of wine and poured it into the glasses. He opened the fridge door, reached out and pulled out a small plastic container. Ben opened it, pulled out a handful of dark red seeds and scattered a few into each glass. Rey looked at him, curious.

“Pomegranate seeds, it enhances the flavour of the wine,” he murmured, his eyes locked onto hers.

Rey shivered and felt her eyes dilating and promptly looked away, although she was sure she caught the side of Ben’s mouth twitching in a half smile. _Please God, let him be feeling the way I am, or I am leaving here tonight…_

Ben interrupted her thoughts, “Come over here and sit, you look nervous. Please don’t be, I want you to relax.” He took her hand again, walked past the dining table and then to the sofa where he sat down beside her. He held his glass up in toast, “Cheers.”

“Slainte,” (Cheers.) Rey replied, clinking her glass against his. She took a sip and smiled, biting her lip, “This is nice. Did you bring it with you, or did you get it from Old Mrs Kanata?”

Ben threw his head back and laughed, “Is that the name of the old woman from the shop? She’s a horror! How did you know I was there?” as he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, news travels fast on this island, not much else to do but gossip!” she chuckled. She was delightfully surprised by how his face and demeanour changed when he laughed. _Oh, help me, this man is going to kill me!_

Ben caught the subtle flicker of emotion that passed across Rey’s face and he stopped, searching her face, “Rey, are you ok?”

“Yes, yes…I was just thinking how… nice…you look… when you laugh,” she stuttered.

He picked up her hand again and lifted it slowly to his mouth without breaking eye contact. He turned her palm to his lips and kissed it every so softly, “So do you Rey.” He felt her sharp intake of breath just as an alarm from the kitchen beeped loudly. _Fuck, so close_ he thought, as his attention was drawn back to the cooking food.

Once they had eaten, they moved from the table to settle back on the sofa. “I’ll top up our glasses,” Ben announced as he stood to retrieve the bottle of wine. The initial awkwardness from the start of the evening had faded away and after a short time they were both entertaining each other with stories; Rey of growing up on the island, and Ben of his exploits in the publishing world.

He had lit the fire opposite the sofa earlier in the evening. Its initial roar had calmed into a peaceful red glow, radiating a welcome warmth as the light began to fade outside, taking with it the last of the day’s heat. Rey watched the hypnotizing sight as she listened to the hisses and pops from the moisture in the logs. She closed her eyes, relaxing as she enjoyed the subtle fragrance of the burning wood.

Ben returned with two bottles. “We’ve almost finished the sparkling wine,” he said, holding up the bottle to show Rey, “I brought a red over too… if that’s ok?”

“Yes, I like red too,” as she glanced up him looking amused.

Ben poured the red wine into two new glasses and settled down next to Rey. She sat back a little and looked at him quizzingly, “So, are you going to tell me what you are writing now or is it a trade secret?” as she winked at him.

“No secrets here, what would you like to know?”

“Everything,” Rey whispered as Ben moved closer to her, his leg touching hers as he reached out his hand and took a curled section of her hair. He began to twirl it between his fingers as his eyes flickered back and forward from her eyes to her hair and then her mouth, watching her.

“It’s a romantic drama set in New York in the 1800s”, he began, “about an immigrant orphan who starts a business and falls for her rival, but she doesn’t know that he is her rival. She becomes rich and successful as he loses his business and becomes poor.”

“Ah, classic enemies to lovers, rags to riches story,” she said, nodding her head approvingly.

“Yes! But there is one scene that I’m having a hard time with and normally I would discuss it with a colleague but that’s not an option right now. It’s been really frustrating me,” he sighed.

“Could I help you?” she asked hesitantly.

Ben paused, then continued, “I’ll tell you about it first before you decide, I don’t want to overstep any boundaries.”

“Well, you tell me, and I’ll decide if I can help.”

He gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment as if he was having some form of internal battle. He continued, “The two characters are very attracted to each other but are unwilling to be the first to admit it. They are in a situation where they are alone and it’s ideal for someone to make the first move, but I haven’t written a love scene before and, to be honest, I’m really struggling.

“I think I could help you with that,” she smiled, “What did you have in mind?”

“I’m not sure if the first kiss should be slow and gentle or hot and steamy”

Rey bit her lip trying not to smirk, “Oh, I see! That is a difficult decision! We _could_ try it out,” she said coyly, “you know… like roleplay?”

Ben also tried not to smirk as he moved closer to her, “Roleplay? That’s an idea. What do you have in mind?”

Rey’s heartbeat picked up, her breathing a little faster, and she could feel her body tingling with nervous excitement. “Ok, how do you… “

She was mid-sentence when she felt Ben’s hand move from her hair to cup the side of her neck and face, his fingers spreading and working themselves into her hair. He leaned forward and whispered, “Rey?” his deep voice sounding almost sinful.

Rey leaned forward and their lips touched. She felt as if she had been hit by a bolt of electricity. A first kiss, gentle, soft and chaste, and definitely not enough. She raised her arm to wrap around his shoulder, entwining her fingers into his hair to pull him into a deeper, rougher kiss.

Ben groaned into her mouth as his tongue sought hers and wrapped his other arm around her, he pulled her closer to him, so their bodies were practically enmeshed. He leaned forward slightly and the weight of him pushed Rey’s back onto the sofa until they were lying side by side.

After a few minutes they stopped, both panting. Ben looked at her with a sated grin and asked tenderly, “Are you ok?”

Rey looked dazed, “Yes… yes I am. I definitely think you should go with the second kiss!”

Ben nodded, depositing soft kisses on her neck and throat and back up to her lips. “I agree, come here,” he moaned as he began to kiss her again, this time like a man starved.

Rey felt like she was drowning under the sweetest of sensations and didn’t want to be rescued. Both her arms were wrapped around Ben’s neck as she felt one of his hands move up and down her side, her back and down to her butt while the other tightened its grip around her waist. His hips were rocking gently in time with hers, sending sparks all over her body.

Lying on the sofa next to him, she felt tiny wrapped in his arms. She moved a hand from his neck and let her fingers drift lightly over his muscled back and chest. His physicality combined with his passion and sensitivity was creating a sensual response in her that she had never experienced.

They stopped for a moment and gazed at each other. Rey brought her hand to his face and rubbed her thumb over his lips as he closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into the palm of her hand. 

Rey laughed quietly as a thought bubbled up.

Ben opened his eyes and sounded a little concerned, asked, “Is anything wrong?”

“Oh no, no… I was just wondering if you had any more research you needed to do?”

Ben pretended to consider it and then laughed. “Possibly, I mean they aren’t going to stop at kissing.”

Rey covered her mouth with her hand in mock surprise, “Really, and just how far are they going to go?”

“How far do you think they should go?” he asked suggestively, his mouth quirked in a half smile. 

Rey’s eyes radiated desire as she suggested, “Well… _if_ they were walking to the bedroom and _if_ they were near a wall, he could start to kiss her and walk her backwards, so she was trapped between him and the wall. While he is kissing her, he could put one of his muscular legs between hers and they might rub against each other.

At that Rey ground her hips into Ben’s and could feel him stiffening against her.

Ben moaned as he mouthed her ear, the erotically charged sound causing goose bumps and shivers down her spine. “And what else _might_ they do?” he urged, as he continued kissing her neck.

Rey felt her confidence rise, “If one is more dominant than the other, they could pin their hands above their head or to the side.”

Ben rested his forehead against her neck, “Go on.”

“He could turn her around so she’s facing the wall and use one hand to keep her hands pinned and he could use the other hand to open her blouse and start to touch her. He would play with her breasts and squeeze her nipples making her groan. Then he could slide his hand down into her underwear and start to play with her clit.”

“Fuck Rey don’t stop!” his voice was becoming a little ragged.

“He could tell her the things he’s going to do to her when he gets her into his bed as he’s making her come. Of course, he would be rubbing himself up against her ass.”

He watched the colour rise in her cheeks and listened to her voice become more sensuous as it went on, it was the hottest thing he had encountered in a long time.

He moved to kiss her on the lips, but she raised a finger quickly to stop him, whispering “Ben, tell me what he would do to her in bed.”

He searched her face for any signs of unease before he started but couldn’t see any. His heart was racing, and his groin was aching. He hadn’t been this turned on in years. 

“Ok, I’ll try my best. He would treat her as a gift from above. He would worship her and unwrap her slowly, teasing her with delicate touches all over her body. He would lead her to the bed and let her undress him.”

It was Rey’s turn to groan as she slid her hand under his black shirt, feeling the chiseled shape of his body, “That’s definitely a good start.”

Ben laughed internally knowing just how arousing it was. He was going to lay it on thick. “He would lay down on the bed beside her and kiss her possessively. He wouldn’t stop kissing her, he would work his way down to her breasts and take a nipple into his mouth and suck, starting soft and then getting harder while he used his hand to play with her other nipple. She would start to squirm and beg him to stop, but he wouldn’t allow it.”

Rey paused and rested her forehead against his body, breathing heavily.

Ben continued, “You see he knows that arousing her nipples makes her clit beg for relief. He would work his way down slowly, tormenting her with kisses and nips and then when he got to her clit he would stop and just breath hot air onto it, making her wait, making her beg him.”

He looked at Rey. Her eyes were closed, and her hips were rocking harder against his. He knew that she was as turned on as him, and he wasn’t going to stop.

“After she puts her hands in his hair, and begs him to keep going, he would lick her from bottom to top in one long continuous motion and she would scream. He would start to lick her clit, swirling around in circles and flicking it from side to side and when she was almost ready to come, he’d slide two of his thick fingers into her to give her something to spasm around.”

Rey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This had to be the most erotic experience of her life and he hadn’t even touched her. Her clit was throbbing; hell, her whole body was throbbing. She tried to squeeze her legs together to get some relief, but Ben was too quick for her. He grabbed one of her thighs and pulled it up to rest on his leg so she couldn’t use friction to give herself some relief. 

“Oh no sweetheart, not yet.” he crooned into her ear as she let out a whimper. “Now, you tell me what she would do to him.”

“I can’t,” she gasped.

“Yes, you can sweetheart, go on, tell me.”

She shook her head as Ben placed his hand under her chin and raised it. He looked lovingly into her eyes and smiled reassuringly.

“Go on,” he repeated.

Rey took a deep breath and continued, “Once she had come down from her orgasm and the aftershocks, she would pull his head up to her mouth and kiss him violently, to taste herself on his lips. She would place her hand on his cock and start to move it up and down while he groaned. Then she would move so her head was level with his cock and take it into her damp, warm mouth.”

Ben groaned again, “I want to touch you Rey,”

She took his head in her hands and gently replied, “Not yet.”

“Don’t stop, sweetheart,” he murmured.

“Then once his cock was in her mouth, she would take it in as far as she could, right down to the base. He would hear her slurping and gagging on it and it would make him even harder. She would run her tongue along the underside and around the top, smearing his precum within her mouth but I’m not sure if she would let him come, because she is ravenous and greedy and wants him inside her.”

“God, Rey…” he moaned, rubbing his hand against his trousers.

“Oh no, if I don’t get, then you don’t get!” Rey laughed as she grabbed his hand. “So to continue…then she would climb on top of him and bend down to kiss him, making sure her breasts rub against his chest and once she has finished kissing him she would sit back up, raise herself up and very, very slowly, she would sink onto his cock until she was stuffed full.”

Rey grabbed Ben’s hair and pulled his head to hers, kissing him passionately on the lips. She continued to kiss him in a trail to his ear where she kissed the sensitive spot behind it. “You’re turn,” she whispered as she rubbed her hips against his.

Ben cleared his throat, trying to think straight. “He would let her ride him for a few minutes, but because he likes to be in charge, he would flip her over, so she was on her back. Once he knew she was comfortable he would start to pound into her for being such a fucking tease. He’d pin her hands above her head and lift her legs over his shoulders so he could get as much of his cock into her cunt as he could. If she was really, really good, he might play with her clit some more.”

Rey squirmed in his arms, he could feel her trembling, “You all right sweetheart?” he asked smugly.

“Yes,” she answered breathlessly. 

He was enjoying this, teasing her as much as she was teasing him. The week had been building up to this and as much as he wanted to drag her into his bed, he wanted to see how far he could push her.

“Shall I continue?”

“Yes,” she squeaked.

“Once he finished playing with her clit, he would tell her to get on her stomach on the bed, although I’ve not decided if he would tie her up or not.”

Rey murmured something into his shirt. He was sure she said, “fuck!”

He kept going, “He would grab her ankles and pull her legs apart and tell her to stay there. He would leave her there for a few minutes, her cunt desperate to be stuffed full. He would ask her if she was a good girl and then tell her to beg for his cock. He would make her beg and beg until she was crying in frustration. Then, and only then, would he grab her hips and raise them and pound his cock into that delicious cunt until he came.”

Ben looked down at Rey who had her face buried against his chest panting, her shoulders heaving. “Rey, look at me.”

Rey raised her head, her face red and her eyes filled with lust.

“Rey, can I touch you now… please?” he begged her.

“Abso-fuckin-lutely” she replied.

His face lit up in the most dazzling grin, “Stand up,” he told her.

Rey stood up awkwardly, not sure if her legs would carry her. She had been so near to coming several times and she was sure if he touched her anywhere, she would explode. 

Once she was steady on her feet, Ben bent at the knees and without warning threw Rey into a fireman’s hold. 

Rey squealed and wriggled, “What are you doing?” she slapped him on his back and laughed.

Ben began to stride out of the living room with Rey perched on a shoulder, “I’m taking your ass to my bed and then I’m going to ravish you.”

Rey stopped struggling and went limp on his shoulder with a big grin on her face. “Ben, are we still role-playing?” she said quietly.

He slapped her across the ass gently, “Not a fucking chance!”

Rey squealed in indignation and then continued, “Ben.”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“I’ll need to text my Grandpa.”

___

Friday:

At 6am, Old Ben Kenobi got out of bed at the same time as he had done for the past 70 years. His hearing was not as good as it was, and his eyesight was poor now. He wasn’t sure if Rey had come home and once he grabbed his glasses, he picked up his phone. A message was waiting for him. He saw it was sent at midnight last night.

“You were right Bodach. I’m staying at Ben’s. Gaol agam ort.”

Old Ben shook his head and beamed. “I knew I was right!”

**Author's Note:**

> I sprinkled in a few Scottish Gaelic phrases, here are the translations:
> 
> Eilean Nan Tonn - Isle of Waves
> 
> Ciamar a tha thu? - How are you?
> 
> Tha gaok agam ort seann bhodach - I love you old man
> 
> Tha gaol agam ort ro ogha - I love you too granddaughter
> 
> Bodach - old man
> 
> Gaol agam ort - love you
> 
> Slainte! - Cheers!
> 
> Some of my inspiration:
> 
> The Outer Hebrides - https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/our-islands
> 
> The flight - https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/visitor-info/getting-to-the-outer-hebrides/by-plane
> 
> The cottage -https://thestonehouses.co.uk/


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